Beauty Gift Ideas for any Budget

Just when you thought I was done with the gift guides, I had to bring out another… 😉 This one is for all the beauty product lovers out there, like myself. So I put together some of what I think our great gift ideas for anyone’s budget. I’m sharing some of my favorite items and brands with a few things that are on my own wish list this season. I didn’t want to just throw a few products together that just looked good, I put together items that I know are great products for a great deal. 🙂

For the holidays I like to give gifts to friends and family that they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves. Great beauty products can be very pricey, but luckily around the holidays there are lots of smaller sized gift versions of great products. Those make fun little gifts without spending a fortune.

Also, I should tell you that quite a few of these items are on SALE!

Most of these products are from ULTA or Nordstroms with fast shipping, and some of them can be found in stores. Norstroms has free shipping while with ULTA if you spend over $50.00 shipping is free. But really, we’re not too far out of the regular shipping window so almost all of these should arrive in time for Christmas!

Everything pictured is link below. 🙂

Gifts $25 and Under

1. Too Faced “Under the Kissletoe” Liquid Lip Kit –$25.00
2. Bodyshop Seasonal Lotion Trio  –$18.00
3. It cosmetics CC Cream –$15.00
4. Tartelette Tease Clay Eye shadow Palette –$23.00
5. Amaze Balls Bath Bombs –$25.00
6. Melisa Michelle Makeup Palette –$20.00
7. Amazing Grace “Ballet Rose” Perfume –$18.00
8. Tarte Duo Liquid Lip Gloss  –$12.00
9. Urban Decay Lock Down Travel Duo –$19.00
10. Becca Glow on the Go Opal –$20.00
11. Clinique Dewy Delights –$25.00
12. Butter London 6 Piece Nail Polish Set  –$14.40 
13. Anastasia Mini Liquid lipsticks –$25.00
14. Ardell Lash Look Book 8 Lashes –$17.49

 

Gifts $50 and Under

1.Lorac Pro Contouring Kit–$45.00
2. NARS Liquid Li sticks  –$45.00
3. Beauty Blender Gift set –$45.00
4. Hot Tools Curling wand – $39.99
5. Benefit “Wink upon a Star” Bestsellers –$29.00
6. Kate Spade Perfume Set  –$30.00
7. Nourishing Hair Masque  –$36.00
8. Becca Apres Ski Glow Collection Shimmer Eye shadows –$29.00
9. Bareminerals Nude Matte Liquid Lip Stick  –$28.00
10. Anastasia Highlighter Kit –$40.00
11. Glitter Liner –$29.00
12. Lorac Pro 3 Palette  –$44.00 
13. Too Faced “Best Year Ever”–$36.00
14. MAC Shimmer Shadows –$29.50
15.Tarte Magic Star Collector Set –$49.00

Gifts $100 and Under

1. It Cosmetics Brush Set -$65.00
2. Peter Thomas Roth Mask-a-holic -$75.00
3. Estee Lauder "Ready to Glow" Set - $65.00
4. Charlotte Tilbury Eyeshadow Quad in "Golden Goddess"-$53.00
5. NUME Curling Wand  -$69.00
6. Tare PRO Amazonian Clay Palette -$53.00
7. YSL Mascara and Lip Set  -$65.00
8. Bobbi Brown Caviar & Rubies Eye Shadow Palette  -$75.00 
9. Benefit Cheek Parade -$58.00
10. Chi Essentials Kit -$99.95
11. Bare Minerals Box of Wonders  -$59.25
12. Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne  -$65.00
13. La Mer Mini Miracles  -$85.00
14. Hourglass Highlighter Set -$62.00

Is there anything on this list that you’d want to give to someone or want to receive this year? Let me know in the comments. Happy Shopping!!

Caitlin Mitchell12 Comments

How I Cleared up my Skin

Lets talk about skin care. Today’s beauty post is all about my skin care routine that I have been doing for a little over a year now. I wanted to share what has helped clear up my skin and has truly been a life changing discovery for me. I have had serious skin issues my entire life, and finding a system that works has been such a relief. I have tried so many different things out there, from proactive, to over the counter washes, to prescription medications, to even Accutane. The list goes on and on and nothing has ever worked in the past. Even after those awkward years I still suffered from acne all the way through my 20’s. After having my daughter it become way worse. I felt like nothing I was trying was helping or making any kind of difference. So after awhile, I honestly gave up on trying to have clear skin. It wasn’t until I went and had a facial done where I asked a ton of questions and gained so much information about my own skin, that I found out what works for me.

When I had my facial done, she asked me “So what kind of skin type are you?” This is a question I have wondered for myself for my entire life. You only have three choices, oily, combination, or dry. I have never really known my type of skin because my skin is so unpredictable. I’d like to say I have the WTF skin type. Where one day I have a dry spot, or cystic acne in another, or even a random allergic reaction, I never know.  So when she took a look my skin she noticed I was combination, where I was dry in some places and oily in others. She first recommended changing my diet. She told me to try cutting out either diary, or gluten, or artificial sweeteners. I was at a point where I was willing to try anything, so first I tried cutting out dairy, nothing happened. Then I tried cutting out gluten, there were no changes. Then I finally cut out artificial  sweeteners and after 4 days, I noticed a difference. My cystic acne went away, my face was less oily, and much more manageable. So with that I started to use different washes and different moisturizers to really figure out what my skin needed. I finally figured it out and wanted to share with you guys, just in case your having similar issues and where looking for something else to try. So here is my step by step skin care routine that I do morning and night to keep my skin under control.

*Disclaimer*- Even though it’s all Clinique products these are not affiliated links or a sponsored post. These are truly what I use and what works for me. 🙂

Step 1:

Clinique Liquid Facial Wash for Oily Skin

When it comes to Clinique it’s no secret that they have great skin care products as well as makeup. But choosing the right facial wash was a challenge. I tried a couple of their acne washes they have from the foam wash to the gel cleanser but they didn’t cleanse my skin completely and ended up stripping my skin of all it’s moisture. Sometimes when you are putting too much drying ingredients into your skin, your skin then makes more oil, which then breaks you out. So I tried their facial wash for oily skin and it’s the perfect balance for fighting off oil but not completely stripping your skin. So after I remove my make up I wash my face with this facial wash soap. It lathers really well, and feels very refreshing.

Step 2:

Clinique Acne Solution Clarifying Lotion

My facialist, told me to try a clarifying lotion that is a liquid. Which my first reaction was, a lotion can be a liquid? But yes, this is what I call the “difference maker.” After washing my face, I use just a little bit of this on a cotton ball to wipe down my skin. It takes off anything that the face wash didn’t take off and has acne fighting ingredients in it.

Step 3:

Clinique Moisturizing Gel

After the clarifying lotion dries I put on moisturizer. This is the dramatically different moisturizing gel. For all the oily skin girls out there, you still need to moisturize. So many moisturizers out there are very thick and can add more oil back into the skin. When you use a gel moistuzer, it still hydrates your skin without adding any extra oil.

Step 4:

Clinique Acne Spot Treatment

I feel like there are so many great acne spot treatments out there now a days. I have tried many, but this one I go back to every time. I only use this when I need it. It’s great for combating those terrible cystic acne spots and to even those pesky smaller pimples. I don’t use a lot of this but when I do I use it after the first 3 steps either before I put on makeup or at night before I go to bed.

 

There you have it!! My full day and night skin care routine. If you are struggling with acne or skin issues, I hope you will give these a try. They have made such a difference for me, I wish I found these products sooner. Let me know if you have tried any of these or let me know what your favorite skin product is. 🙂

Thanks for stopping by!!

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

IT Cosmetics CC Cream Review

Happy Friday friends, I am starting a new theme on my blog, where all my Friday posts will be all things beauty related. 🙂 I am full on makeup lover or product junkie, if you will, and I love trying out all new things. When I find something that I really love using, I have to share it. Which brings me to today’s post, it is a review all about the IT Cosmetics CC cream ” your skin but better” foundation. When I went into Ulta the other day I was actually going to try a completely different foundation but ended up leaving with this one. I am someone who likes to look up reviews before I spend my money on anything, so I can have an idea of what I’m getting myself into. This product I actually bought blindly, not knowing anything about it, which I rarely do. I was very surprised how much I ended up liking this.  I have used this foundation for almost a month now, so I feel like I can give a real and honest review about this product.

To give you a brief skin history of myself I have very oily/combination + sensitive skin, so the SPF 50 was something I was initially worried about. I was very excited that no breakouts occurred (or allergic reactions I might add) and my skin actually feels better than ever. This is defiantly a product I can see myself repurchasing over and over.

Consistency: It is very creamy feeling but not runny. It blends into the skin really easily and doesn’t look cakey. One pump of this is all you really need. A little goes a long way.

Coverage: It says it’s full coverage but I would say it’s more medium to full. It defiantly covers a lot for a cc cream but if you do have acne or quite a bit of redness, you will have top it up with a little concealer, like I do. One of the best things I like about it, it does what the packaging says, it looks like your skin but better.

Best Way to Apply: In my opinion, the best way to apply is with a damp beauty blender or a dome shaped foundation brush. It goes on smooth and blends out real easily. It’s also very build able if you want even more coverage.

Shades: It comes it 7 different shades, which isn’t a lot, but I did end up finding my perfect match. There is also an illuminating version of this foundation as well. (It is a tad glittery, so watch out)

Smell: This product defiantly has a strong scent. I did not like it at first, but now I actually have grown to like the smell. The only way I could think to describe it, is that it has a twang to it. So smell it first before you buy, just in case you don’t like the smell.

Pros:

  1. A little goes a long way
  2. Not cakey looking
  3. Works with oily skin
  4. Amazing Coverage
  5. Feels light on the skin
  6. It comes with a pump
  7. High SPF 50+

Cons:

  1. It has a “twangy” smell.
  2. Only a few shades to choose from.

Your Skin But Better™ CC+™ Cream with SPF 50+ Light Main Image

 

Buy it here

$38.00

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoyed my first ever makeup review. Let me know if you tried this foundation out, or if you have any suggestions for me to try. Let me know in the comments below.

Have a great weekend!!

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

Best in Beauty 2016

Today’s post is all about beauty!!
I am a product junkie when it comes to makeup, skin care, hair care, etc. I put together all my most used and most loved products for all of 2016. Most of these are items that I’ve  repurchased over and over because I know they work.To start off I am going to talk about my favorite, which is makeup. I have always had a love hate relationship when it comes to makeup. Well I love it and it hasn’t always loved me. The past year I have had the worst allergies and makeup was one of them. I tried a new eye liner and eye shadow and things went wrong. My eyes swelled up for a solid month. So I ended up going back to my Maybelline eye liners and mascara because they are gentle and affordable. If you are having  similar issues I highly recommend this brand for their eye products. They’re both long lasting and easy to apply. Another makeup item for eyes is the Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay. It’s a palette Ive used for a while now and I love it. Its a perfect balance of shimmer and matte shades so you can switch it up. My favorite shades are booty-call, snakebite, and tease.

I also included my favorite foundation, concealer and powder which cover and conceal everything. Both foundation and concealer are from Estee Lauder the double wear stay in place line. If you have acne prone skin this will not break you out and it lasts all day. The best way of applying them is with a beauty sponge or a dense face brush. I included my two favorites, which are both from the drugstore. The pressed powder is by Rimmel London in the shade 001 transparent. It’s very affordable and you can find it in the drugstore. I have tried many high end and low end powders and this one is the one I always go back too.

For skin care I have found the brand that has really worked for me and that is Clinique. To give a little background of my skin, I have very oily, acne prone skin, and it’s been a long journey to really find what works for me.  This brand has always been gentle enough for daily use but still harsh enough combat acne. I highly recommend checking them out if you have similar issues with your skin. The other Clinique products I wanted to mention are the clarifying lotion for after you wash your face and the moisturizing gel for oily skin. These two have made a huge difference in clearing up my skin. They other Clinique items are the acne face mask, that I use as a spot treatment for blemishes and the eye cream. Both I have been using for years now.

As far as hair care, this has been the year I have really taken the best care of my hair. It’s fuller and thicker than its ever been and I truly give credit to the products that I have been using. I wash my hair every 3 days and instead of a conditioner I use a deep repair mask that I let sit in my hair for 5 to 10 minutes. It has made a huge difference in the texture of my hair. It’s the Macadamia deep repair mask. Another favorite it the Perfect 10 leave in spray. It does so many things, from conditioning, heat protection, and controling frizz, and more. Without this my hair gets very dry at the ends and hard to style. Another great tip, if you don’t wash your hair everyday, is to use a dry shampoo. I have tried many different types and I always go back to the Baptiste dry shampoo. It works well and it’s affordable.

That’s all of my favorite beauty buys for 2016. I hope this was helpful. Let me know if you use any of these items or recommend something new for me to try.

Here are all the products mentioned and a few more below with links to buy 🙂

 

Makeup
 
Skin Care

Caitlin Mitchell1 Comment

Gift Ideas For Her

 1. Amazing Grace Perfume- Buy it here
2. Coffee Mug – Buy it here
3.Earrings – Buy them here
4. Scarf- Buy it here
5. Phone Case- Buy it here
6. Makeup Bag- Buy it here
7. Planner- Buy it here
8. Engraveable Necklace in Rose Gold – Buy it here
9.Candle – Buy it here
I don’t’ know about y’all but this year I am far from finishing buying gifts for everyone on my list. If your looking for an affordable gift for your mom, friend, sibling or colleague these are super cute for any girlie girl out there. Let me know which one is your favorite. I think mine has to be the earrings 🙂

Happy Shopping

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

DIY Body Scrub

Another fun homemade beauty recipe to try!! I love finding new ways to make homemade beauty products using things you find in your pantry. It’s cheap, easy, and it works just as good if not better than the products you buy in stores.
This time of year everyone wants that gorgeous tan, and a body scrub is the perfect thing to use on your skin before you lay out in the sun. There are so many types of  scrubs out there that you can do at home using things like coffee grounds, milk, olive oil, baking soda, etc. This recipe that I am sharing  has vitamin E oil to help your skin and cinnamon oil for a yummy scent. You can switch out oils for something else if you like or even add more.  After using this your skin feels so soft and moisturized right after you use it. Here are all the ingredients below.

 What you will need:

1 cup of Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Coconut oil (melted)
1/2 tsp  Vitamin E oil
1 tsp of Honey
1/4 tsp of Cinnamon oil
Small Containers

Once you have your ingredients ready, mix it all together. Then spoon your mixture into your containers. Simple as that! This is a perfect take home gift idea for bridal or baby showers, or even a fun stocking stuffer when Christmas rolls around.  This recipe ended up making the perfect amount to fill both of my glass containers, without an left over. 🙂

 

Hope you enjoyed!! Thanks for stopping by!!
Don’t forget to subscribe through google or email so you don’t miss a post.
Caitlin

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

Eyeshadow Nail Polish

After mindlessly searching on Pinterest I stumbled upon the coolest trick for painting your nails I had ever seen, using eye shadow as a nail polish. I had to try this. It took me a few attempts to see how to get it to really work for me. Here is two to techniques that I tried.

1.One way to do this

For this method you will need:
Plastic spoon (to mix your new color)
Plastic knife (to scratch off the eye shadow)
Clear polish
Eye shadow (mine is MAC in cranberry)

Mix the clear polish with your eye shadow. It does work but the nail polish brush drys fast with the eye shadow in it, so fast that it gets ruined. I tried soaking it in nail polish remover, didn’t work. I tried using water, didn’t work. I ended up putting it back in the clear nail polish. You can see in the picture the eye shadow fell to the bottom and now the clear polish has a bit of color in it. 🙁 So if you have a little less clear polish  that you need to use up, then this method is good for that.

This was the final result. I liked it, but you do end up using more eye shadow, and it comes out more shiny than glittery (if your using a glittery eye shadow).
2. The other way to do this 
(which I prefer)

What you will need:
 Makeup sponge
Clear polish

Eye shadow (mine is MACs honey lust)
I also used OPI Cajun shrimp on my other nails

Apply the clear polish on your clean nail and then quickly dab a triangular sponge into the eye shadow (you only need a little). Then dab it on your nail while its still wet. Just a couple of dabs on your nail will do, otherwise it will smear and wont look right. Then apply another clear coat to seal it. Loved this technique the best. You use less eye shadow, less mess, and the color comes out closer to the actual eye shadow color.

Thanks for stopping by!

Caitlin

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

Nail Colors for Spring

 If your looking for a fun bright spring color for your nails, look no further. 🙂 Here are three of my favorite colors by OPI that are perfect for spring and summer.

 

1.OPI in  Do You Lilac It buy it here
Perfect pastel lavender color that is very flattering if you have more of a fair complexion.
2.OPI in Cajun Shrimp buy it here
This color is super bright and more of a orange red color. It reminds me of a tropical vacation or a tropical drink. 😉 Looks great with a tan.
3.OPI in Strawberry Margarita buy it here
I am a big fan of pink nails and this color is like a bright barbie pink. You can tell by the picture that this one has been well loved. 🙂

 

Caitlin

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

Quick and Easy Hair Mask

Hello Friends
Its time for a beauty post. I love finding inexpensive beauty remedies that you can do at home and that actually work. I have been looking for a nourishing hair mask for a while now mybecause my hair is very chemically dependent and gets dry and damaged easily. But most hair masks out there are so outrageously expensive, so when I asked my hair dresser what is a way to get a hair mask that conditions well and won’t break the bank, this is what she recommended.

Coconut oil with Vitamin E. 
Vitamin E contains valuable antioxidants that help to keep the immune system up and improves circulation to all parts of the body, including the scalp. The use of coconut oil on hair helps to reduce protein loss in hair. It is also is said to help stimulate hair growth. So your not only getting a conditioning treatment but also something that will help your hair grow fuller and thicker.
This is this coconut oil and vitamin E I used.
 Both can be found at the grocery store.
I mix about two big spoonfuls of coconut oil and 10 drops of vitamin E oil together. I apply this to wet hair and leave it in for 20 to 30 minutes. This is so good for your hair you can even leave it on your hair all night if you like.
Rinse well and then this is what my hair looked like after I dried it, only using this mask one time. My hair defiantly feels softer and a little thicker. 🙂

 

Let me know if you have tried this or any other fun at home hair treatments you would like to share.
Thanks !!!
Caitlin

 

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment

10 under $10.00

Here are my top 10 picks for best beauty products just under $10.00.  I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to spend a fortune to look your best. That includes the products you use daily. These are all drugstore items that I use religiously.
I highly recommend them all!
1. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer 
buy it here for $8.99

Being a mommy of a one year old, I defiantly depend on a good concealer for those stubborn dark circles. This stuff is amazing for under the eyes. It comes with a foam tip that I actually remove just for sanitary reasons, but it goes on smooth and blends really well.

2. Lash Sensational Mascara
buy it here for $5.99

This is a great mascara. I talked about it in my February favorites. It coats every lash and curls them upward. It makes your eyes really pop.

3. Neutrogena Fragrance Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes  
Buy it here for $6.99
These are great for getting every bit of makeup off. They are easy on the skin without stripping your skin of all the moisture. Great for travel and great for spot cleaning your makeup brushes.

4. e.l.f kabuki brush
For $6.00 buy it here
e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush
e.l.f. Kabuki Face Brush
This is a super dense brush that has lasted me a while. Its great for powder, blush or just for blending.
5. NYX Matte Finishing Spray
Buy it here for $7.99
This is great for after applying a full face of makeup spraying this all over to really set everything in place. It smells really refreshing and makes your make up last longer.
6. Milani Baked Blush in “Luminoso”
For $7.49 buy it here
This is such a pretty peachy color with a little shimmer. If you have a more yellow undertone to your skin this us perfect for you.

7. OPI Classic Nail Lacquer in Dulce de Leche 
Buy it here for a410.00
I love OPI nail colors. They last long and they have the prettiest shades. This one in particular is perfect all year round. Its a pinky mauve color that compliments all skin tones.

8. Milani Lipstick in “Naked” 
Buy it here for $5.99

This is a beautiful rich matte color. Really fits any looks and all their lipsticks smell like watermelon.

 
9. Jergens Natural Glow Lotion
 Buy it here for $9.00
This I have used for years. I used it for my wedding any time I need that extra color to my skin. I am very fair and still blends well and looks natural (not orange) Just make sure to blend well.
10. Maybelline BB cream
 buy it here $8.99
This I love. I mentioned this also in my February favorites. It’s just a touch and even out any skin tone. Its perfect just for everyday not heavy and protects your skin.
Let me know if these are some of you drugstore favs as well.
Thanks for stopping by!

Caitlin MitchellLeave a comment